Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 477 UNWORTHY

CHAPTER 477 UNWORTHY

We were on the stage of an auditorium. Around us were seats spaced uniformly in the room. All facing us. Next to me was Sooyoung who had passed out after I exited her. Between her legs was a large puddle of white cum leaking from her pussy. 

My eyes drifted down to the dead body at my feet. Now that the magic was gone, his true form was revealed. Paper white skin, he had black wings at his back. Two large horns jutting out of his head he was no longer the muscular man I saw. Bone thin he almost looked sickly. 

I read the notifications again. 

Now that the action was over, I received notifications of Constellations leaving my channel. Each one leaving in shame in their post-nut clarity. Shaking my head I didn’t think this was part of the story back when I read it, but this story was all about entertainment. I was just lucky or unlucky enough to be put in these situations. 

“Very well done,” the Dokkaebi that had been haunting me said. The black-furred imp appearing out of nowhere, he exuded greed. “You kept up with the Incubus’ demand. If you hadn’t, he would have killed you.”

“Great,” I said. My bottomless libido finally proving useful for something. I wasn’t in the mood, though. “Go away.”

“Hmm?” He asked, not listening. “You’ve done pretty good, kid. I was congratulating you. In fact, you’ve done so well I was considering signing a-“

I pulled my Soulsword out and pointed it at him. “Leave me the fuck alone. I have no interest in you.” He stared at me for a moment. Surprised by my reaction, but then he began chuckling. 

“Peruse it,” he said as a notification appeared in front of me. I made it disappear as the imp did. I really did not care. 

The memories of all the others I had seen made my heart ache. Staring at the Soulsword in my hands Reina, Hina, Shinju, Hinata, Nami, Robin, Hancock, Toru, Aiko, Setsuko, Jin; each face flashed before my eyes. I had been in those worlds for years. Banished from them for only a year, the pain of losing them was brought forward in my mind. I actually felt tears well in my eyes. To my surprise they were happy tears. 

I had seen them again. Felt them, smelled them, I had interacted with them for the first time in a long time. It was so freeing to have the reminder and know they were safe. Each was safe in their world, and no matter what happened they would survive. I could die tomorrow and they would continue on. All except Hancock. 

“Fucking hell,” I mumbled. I had been treating the current course of our actions as the other Weston’s problem. I was simply along for the ride throwing in jibes and making fun of him when I could. No, he was me. He wouldn’t have asked for my help if he didn’t need it. This fight in Solo Leveling was real. We needed to be all hands on deck for this. 

“I gotta get stronger,” I said, my hands gripping the sword. 

Reminded of the weapon, I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened with the Soulheart. It had absorbed into the blade somehow. Making it bigger for a time as it lopped off the Incubus’ head. Now it was a little bigger, but as I tried to make it extend again, it failed. Unsure what had happened to it, I put it away to figure out later as Sooyoung stirred. 

She moaned happily as she opened her eyes. Stretching out as if she had a great sleep she blinked rapidly until she turned to face me. “Hello,” I said, waving at her.

“Hey,” she said shyly. Then as she remembered everything her haki spiked in fear and she sat up. Moving through notifications that appeared when she was asleep she moved to the edge of the bed. The corpse of the Incubus still there, her Haki became true terror. “What happened?” 

“He controlled us,” I said. “Put a spell on us somehow. I don’t know.” I shook my head, recovering from the visions I had seen. “Made us fuck like rabbits.” I eyed her still dripping pussy. She looked down as well, slowly putting together that whatever dream she had been in really happened. 

I threw her the clothes I found by the bed. She blushed and stammered as she put them on. Deciding it was time to go as well, I dressed slowly. My body a little sore, for once I really wasn’t horny. Both of us quiet, her Haki was all over the place. Shame, anger, rage, lust, more shame, chastisement—all of it played through her as she mentally yelled at herself. Rather than wait for her to get through it I pointed to the edge of the room. There was a white outline of double doors that I hoped would lead to the exit. 

“Shall we?” I asked. Unable to answer she hung her head and followed me. The empty chairs all around us it was an eerie sight. I pushed the doors open and we were at the back of the building. Green mist filling the air the poison was thicker now. 

“Shit,” Sooyoung said. Pushing invisible buttons another green breathing apparatus appeared in her hands. “Thanks,” she said before putting it up to her mouth. Without another word she ran down the alley, back into the street. 

My hand reached for her, but I didn’t say anything. Positive she was involved in the canon somehow, I hoped to meet her again, but she had too much to work through. The world already shit around us, I let out a snort as I shook my head. Leaving one dungeon, I was back in another. So many quests ahead of me, it was a cycle that had no end in sight. But that wasn’t the point of dungeons. The best part of them was the journey, it was time to remember to enjoy it. 

—

WESTON

I breathed in and out heavily. Nothing but corpses around me, the only thing that got me through it was the notification. 

It had been a long road for me. Monster after monster drawn to me, most likely by the Dokkaebi always watching me, I took them on. From crows as big as clouds, to kaiju-sized beasts that tore apart the city with waves of their arms. Whatever was called to this end of the world hadn’t been able to stand against me. A fact my imp was rather pissed about. 

“What the fuck are you!?” It yelled as it floated behind me. 

I ignored it, floating on my puddle of water, looking for the next target. To be honest I thought I was dead a couple of times as well. But the System that controlled this world had granted me quite the skill. 

At level one it had allowed my blows to be one times stronger. Now, as long as the foe was eight times bigger than me, I could do 8 times the damage. These monsters had otherworldly health too. They weren’t easy, but it was a whole lot easier with the skill than without. 

“I’m just getting started,” I said. “Call me more monsters.”

“There are no more!” The Dokkaebi yelled. “Everything is dead. There isn’t anything until the next scenario!” 

“Fuck that, you wanted your people entertained right? Keep em coming,” I ordered.

“There are rules, you idiot. I can’t just will things here for you to fight. They cost money. These were supposed to last for months!” 

“Well they didn’t last a day,” I said. “You should try to get your money back.” Disappointed, I wasn’t surprised. I had reached my goal of level 200 which made me about 40 levels higher than I was when I got my ass kicked in Solo Leveling. I felt it was time to go back and enact my plan. I was at least strong enough to deal with my current predicament. 

With the thought I received a new quest. 

“Alrighty,” I mumbled. Guessing that my own personal System wanted me there for some reason. Unsure what the reward was, I flew to the station. I had pretty good knowledge of Seoul. Though I was a ways away from the city I floated to my destination with ease. 

The green mist of venom the frog had spat stuck close to the ground. Floating over it high in the area I could see that the big monsters had done a number everywhere. Buildings knocked over, dead in the streets, the only reason bugs weren’t all over them was because of the poison. The foul stench of death all around me, fires burned uncontrollably pushing the other survivors to safe locations. 

It took a couple of hours to get to the subway station. When I did my other self was already breaking in. Tall shudders trying to be shut by those occupying the station, he knocked them down with ease. As I landed behind him I released my Conqueror’s Haki. He turned around slowly as those he was facing fainted from the overwhelming Haki. 

“I thought I smelled a little bitch,” he said.

“Pff,” I chuckled. “You forget I’m stronger than you now?”

“Hell no I didn’t forget,” he said as I walked up next to him. “Your Haki is huge.”

“Not the only thing big about me,” I said. 

He rolled his eyes. “You get the quest too?” I nodded. His haki was sad as he studied me for a moment. Unsure what he went through, I guessed he had a tough time with it since he had to start at the beginning with his strength. 

“Your Viltrumite form help at all?” I asked as we walked into the station. Lifting my hand up I pulled the metal shudder down, closing the entrance. Everyone knocked out around us we waded inside easily. Those that had been out of my range stared at us wide eyed. Scared beyond belief of us as our quest finished. 

“That was easy,” we said as one as we dismissed the notification. 

“What do you think Chat is?” I asked. 

“Looks like a new Passive Skill,” he said as he brought up his screen. Curious, I brought up my screen. 

“Shit, it’s bolded too,” I noticed. “Do we not need a challenger slot for it?” 

“Guess not,” he said. “I’m guessing its to…Chat?”

“Man, you must have been through some shit to be this smart,” I said.

“Fuck you,” he laughed as we clicked the Friends tab. There was a new screen that popped up with an Add Friend button. We both pushed it and added one another. He was under Weston, as I was. Then as we clicked each other’s names a chat window popped up. 

-You’re gay- he wrote. 

-Takes one to know one- I texted back. The words hovered and stayed there. 

“What the hell is this?” I asked. Surprised we had received such a skill so randomly. “Is it because we have been working together?”

“Or maybe it was a timed thing,” he said. “Maybe every Challenger is getting one.”

“Why would other Challengers need this?” I asked, unsure what was going on.

“Maybe we get to make friends now?” He asked. We shrugged and dismissed the chat windows. Though it was so random, it would be useful to get in touch with one another, that was for sure.

Studying him, Easton’s haki was in turmoil. “You alright?” I asked. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I uh, think we need to go.”

“You piss someone off?” I asked. 

“No…maybe, who cares,” he said. “I just went through some crap. You’re right, we need to get Hancock back.”

“I agree,” I said, relaxing a little. I felt like I was pushing him too much. Despite how much he pissed me off, I was appreciative he was with me. “I kind of killed everything I could here. You feel pretty strong. Your Viltrumite form kick in? Were you able to get any levels?” 

“Uhhh yeah. Viltrumite form is kind of useless. I can fly, but that’s about it. I’m sure I’m stronger and have all the resistances the form has, but I don’t think it made me any stronger,” he said. “But I got…lucky. Which reminds me, before we go, I need all your Coins, and money you can spare.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“I just need it,” he said. He looked at an invisible screen. “You only have 10 billion won? I thought you were paid a shitload in Solo Leveling.”

“Don’t look at my screen,” I said, annoyed we could see each others screens. “I spent most of it on a construction company to rebuild my island.”

“Oh right,” He said. “So you have more there, give me what you got.”

“I’m not giving you all my money for no reason,” I said truthfully. “Tell me why you need it first.”

He hesitated, then looking to the ground in shame he said, “You know how we updated all the unopened worlds?” I nodded. “Well, seems my life in this world was pretty lucky.” It took time to get his skills out of him, but by the end I was pissed.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I roared. “I have to fight monsters forever, and you get a cheat like that?!”

“It’s manhwa man, they all have cheats,” he said unashamedly. “At least I’m not going to go to Solo Leveling super weak. The Viltrumite Form needs to be built up and now I’m not near as squishy. “

“Whatever,” I said, feeling slightly relieved he wouldn’t die right away. A part of me thought about killing him again, but I pushed it back. We were working toward the same goal. Now more than ever. “Fine, you can have 80 billion won.”

“90,” he said. “And some gold if you can spare it.”

“Gold too?!” 

“Yeah, come on man. This is our first true cheat. If I get to Solo Leveling and die right away, I’m haunting the shit out of you,” he said.

Rolling my eyes I began to pull won out of my status screen. He was right, he needed to be strong. It just sickened me that he could buy it like this, when I had to put in all this effort. This must have been how gamers felt when people used hacks. When it was all said and done I gave him 95 billion won and 2,400 gold coins, and all but 500 of the Coins I had earned. I wasn't’ sure when I would come back to this world, but I didn’t want to be poor. 

“You’re so sweet,” he said, throwing them all in an invisible screen. “Its so nice to have a sugar daddy in this world.”
 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t spend it all in one place,” I said.

“Too late,” he said and his Haki began to skyrocket as his body glowed white. 

“How high did you get?” I asked. 

He smiled wide. “In the 80s for everything,” he said, the smile turning into a shit eating grin. 

“Freaking manhwa’s and their cheats,” I grumbled.

“Serendipity, baby,” he said.

“Well you’re almost half as strong as me,” I said. “Probably twenty times stronger than anyone here. Are you sure you’re ready?” 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he said, then hesitated. “Hey wait, uh, I got something. You mind using your Journeyman eyes on them?” 

“Sure,” I said. He pulled a small compass out of his subspace and his Soulsword materialized in his other hand. I used my ID skill on both. 

I explained them to him. “Where did you get the upgrade?”

“This dungeon I was in,” he said. Putting the compass away, he smiled at the sword. It turned into a white mist and reabsorbed back into his body. 

“Dungeon? You have been lucky,” I admitted.

“You have no idea,” he said. “World Escape.” He disappeared in front of me. No sign of where he had gone or anything. Surprised, I said the same and followed. Once inside the red room I relayed to him what happened.

“What do you think it means?” He asked.

“Well normally time would freeze if we left. Since there are two of us, I’m guessing we just disappeared until we go back.”

“That’s weird,” he said. “Kind of freaky. So we would cease to be?”

“Guess so,” I said with a shrug as my eyes drifted to Solo Leveling. Fear leaking into me, I knew this had to be done, but now that there was nothing holding me back, I wasn’t sure if I should prepare more somehow. 

“What was the plan for Solo Leveling again?” Easton asked.

“Again?” I asked, annoyed.

“Don’t take it out on me. I want to make sure it hasn’t changed,” he said. I let out my breath, trying to release the tension I was feeling. 

“So we were in this dungeon. In the dungeon all the other Players were shown visions of the past. During that the other Players were taken over by the Monarch we had all been training as. The Architect having designed the whole Player crap to make us strong enough to be their vessels.”

“Right,” he said with a nod. 

“I beat my Monarch. Sung Jinwoo’s Monarch didn’t even try to take him over. Everyone else disappeared. During this whole thing, the Hunter Guild was called to the dungeon we were in. So I’m guessing this whole vision quest took a few hours.” I walked myself through everything again as well, remembering it clearly. “When I woke up, Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch, had been losing to the physical manifestation of the Architect.”

“So the giant armed stone guy?” He asked.

“Yep,” I said. “I killed him. Then made the mistake of summoning Hancock. She was taken over by her Monarch. She attacked me. Hurt me pretty bad. I used a full heal, and more Monarchs teleported to bring her back. They knocked out Jinwoo, and I’m currently standing between the Monarchs and the remnants of the Hunter guild.”

“And you’re sleeping with their leader, the Hunter guild, I mean?” He asked.

“Cha Hae-In is like the vice-leader or something,” I said. “But yeah, I’m sleeping with her….and a few others.”

“Great,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, so we gotta save my harem, and get everyone out of there while I stall the Monarchs,” I said.

“Okay, I think I’m caught up,” he said.

“Good,” I said. Making a move for the door I hesitated. Bringing up my Status screen I remembered my newest item, the Blank Choice in my abilities. It would allow me to copy anything from my world status screens to my main one. “Wait,” I said moving back to the Omniscient Reader world. “I uh…think I need one of the skills I had in this world.”

“Seriously?” Easton asked, but I ignored him. Heading back into the world, the Kaiju Breaker would probably be invaluable for the fight ahead. I needed to be ready.